by Larae Meadows

Created on: July 18, 2008   Last Updated: July 19, 2008

The Dark Knight, the next installment in the Batman movie series, is unsurpassed, unmatched, unadulterated, unimaginable WOW!

This is where I usually write my summary of the plot but to tell you anything would be to spoil it for you.

The Dark Knight is visual splendor. Director Christopher Nolan and cinematographer Wally Pfister create such a dark environment without sacrificing the viewability for the audience. There are amazing visual effects but some of the best visuals were not effects at all. Nolan didn't take the easy way out: there are actual exploding buildings and vehicles! There are numerous chase scenes and none of them lose their edge or become dull. There are gadgets and gizmos aplenty, who's-its and what's-its galore!

There is no way to mince words: The Dark Knight is all about The Joker (Heath Ledger). It is impossible to take your eyes off of The Joker when he is on the screen because he so captivates the audience through fear and humor which turns the stomach.

Heath Ledger's performance actually made me tremble and my mouth got dry because I left it open for so long. I fear Ledger's performance will be undervalued because of the genre of this film, but make no mistake, his performance is worth an Academy Award. Even if there was no makeup on Heath Ledger's face, he would still be the most frightening character I've ever seen on film. Every opportunity to chill the audience, to frighten us with body language or vocal inflection are taken by Ledger. Ledger has one hundred percent commitment to The Joker. Ledger's posture, his demeanor, his humor and his insanity are all obscenely captivating. It took me a half of an hour to realize it was Heath Ledger at all because Heath Ledger is completely lost to The Joker.

The makeup team, run by Sue Robb-King, increase the bone chilling effect The Joker leaves on the audience by making the scars and makeup subtle enough they look realistic but redoubtable. The Joker makeup is especially freaky because it obvious the character would spend time to keep it up but messy enough to know he's insane just by looking at him.

The Joker isn't the only character that rocked in The Dark Knight. Batman (Christian Bale) is faced by several situations where he is presented with two choices that are both right and both wrong. The moral dilemmas don't seem contrived or simple, a blessing in the world of super hero movies.

Other than how he talks when he has the Batman costume on, Bale embodies the essence of Batman. Christian Bale is strong, sad, and sometimes tragic in The Dark Knight. You feel such weight on Bale's shoulders as Batman but even heavier as Bruce Wayne. It is hard to play two different egos in one character in one film and blend them as masterfully as Bale does.
Writers Christopher Nolan, David S. Goyer and Jonathan Nolan have earned favorite writers status by their work in The Dark Knight. All of the characters are dimensional and complex. The plot is intricate and intriguing.

When a movie wraps the story in a beautiful package and ties it with a perfect acting ribbon, Christopher Nolan's direction is without flaw!

The Dark Knight is exciting, emotional and evocative but the best word to describe it would be perfection. See this in the theater, it is worth the money!

Learn more about this author, Larae Meadows.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.